Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Tips

Chocolate chip cookies, first concocted by Ruth Wakefield in 1939 at
Massachusetts' Toll House Inn, were introduced to the general public
on Betty Crocker's radio series "Famous Foods from Famous Places."
Since that time, they have enjoyed a continuing, well-deserved popularity.

Chocolate chip cookies are a type of drop cookie, the simplest and most
versatile cookie variety available. They are called drop cookies
because the cookie dough is soft enough to drop off a spoon (perhaps with
a bit of assistance) and onto a baking sheet.

The basic chocolate chip cookie batter consists of butter and sugar, which
are beaten together until the batter is light and fluffy. Eggs and
vanilla extract are added and beaten in, followed by flour combined with
baking soda and salt. Next comes the raison d'etre! Chocolate
chips and other textural ingredients, such as chopped nuts, are mixed into
the batter.

Using the spoon size specified in your chocolate chip cookie recipe, drop
spoonfuls of cookie dough onto a baking sheet. Use a second small
spoon to help push the cookie dough mixture off the spoon, or simply use a
cookie scoop instead of a spoon to easily make uniform size cookies.
Space the cookies evenly on the baking sheet, according to the recipe's
instructions, and bake the cookies in a moderate temperature oven.
To produce soft, cakey cookies, leave the mixture well mounded on the
baking sheet. For delicious cookies with soft, chewy centers and
crisp edges, remove them from the oven as soon as their edges turn golden
brown, and while their middles are still soft and light brown. For
crisper cookies, spread out the cookie drops a little with the back of a
spoon before baking them. As a rule, cookies that are even in color
and firm to the touch will tend to be crisper.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Baking (Time Lapse)

Try this easy chocolate chip cookie recipe and browse through the
chocolate chip cookie gift shops listed below. Learn the history
of Toll House cookies, and find chocolate chip cookie recipes for every
taste.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Here is our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, perfected after many
years of trial and error. It makes 3 to 4 dozen delicious cookies.

Cookie Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cookie Preparation and Baking Steps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt, ideally with
a wire whisk, and set it aside.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and white granulated
sugar with an electric mixer to form a granular paste. Add eggs and
vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until thoroughly mixed.

Blend in the flour mixture, then the chocolate chips (and optional
walnuts), at low speed until the ingredients are well distributed.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand for
a minute or so, then remove to wire racks or other cool surface with a
spatula.